Endless Sky
by Tosa
Summary: After the fall of a powerful coven, one of the survivors suffers from shock-induced amnesia. Maybe what appears to be his soulmate's reincarnation can help him remember. The only problem is, she's no longer a she. E/B SLASH! ABANDONED
1. Same Old, Same Old

I almost didn't write this. I wanted to. I desperately wanted to. But I wasn't sure how it would be received.

For me, it was actually looking through the Twilight fanfiction archive that did it. Some of the plots were so clever - and people actually READ them! And REVIEWED! It shocked me. Since when did being intelligent garner any respect? Especially in fanfiction? Despite the lack of slash in this fandom, I was no longer wary. I knew what I had to do.

This fic may start out a little confusing. After all, there's amnesia involved, and the story's set in the future, although the plot does not focus on the fact it's set in the future. Just be patient and **take it in stride**; all will be explained **as the story develops**.

* * *

**T**he school was isolated. Cut off from a highly technological society whose values were based on violence and sex and pop culture, the grandiose academy posed a sanctuary for the sons of rich people wishing to preserve their darlings from the contamination of a harsh, modern reality without actually having to accompany them.

Edward watched, idly, as thick forests passed the train window, and the machine made its way up the mountain. He was used to these old-fashioned methods of transportation and actually found more familiarity in these many duplicate schools he passed through than in the sleek, miniaturized devices of cities and the outside world, as depicted on the television set. He was comfortable "living in the past" because that was the only way he knew how, and had, for the last several decades.

He fiddled with the tags on his luggage, reading over and over the looping script that spelled out his name and ticket number. Still, even if he loved them, he was simultaneously very _tired_ of these places, with their identical uniforms and halls and people, the only thing differing being the information he learned there. It was basically similar, but on a large scale, it became either more complex or censored depending on where he went. He'd read half a dozen of the same books for English, but looking at how many years of English he'd endured, that wasn't saying much. The only thing about these schools' curriculums that never varied were the core lessons and the sheer _monotony_. Edward wondered if anyone else felt the way he did about this educational system, which had him completing the requirements for one four- or three-year program shortly before shipping him off to the next, usually just as chatter about "college" started up. When exactly did one go about applying for one of these so-called universities, anyway?

The train's path began to level out from the previous slope, and Edward's trunk would have fallen off the seat, had he not caught it. Curious, he turned to the window again, this time opening it and peering outside.

The building was massive and looked like a cross between a castle and a fortress in war-time. Edward looked at the yellowing stronghold, with the paint turning to a sickly green much like the vines and moss that encased it, and he thought that this place must be very, very old indeed. He not only _hoped _it wouldn't collapse; he _prayed._

Its resemblance to a fort as well as its location - near the top of a mountain - made Edward wonder if a war were to actually commence, would the school be safe from aerial attacks? Surely even the smallest tremors in the land, much less an earthquake, would send the walls crumbling.

The train stopped at a distance where the trees covered the academy from sight, and warily, Edward thought how he hadn't seen the sun in ages, and could not remember the last time he'd been _in_ it. Nearly everywhere he went had awful weather or thick forests or was located entirely inside or underground.

The black, beetle-like car that came for him was driven by a woman whose face he kept trying to get a glimpse of beneath her hat, only to fail. He could've sworn he'd seen her somewhere before and was beginning to feel strange at the onset of déjà vu. Well, whatever she looked like, he could tell by what little he could see of her that she was very beautiful.

They drove in silence, Edward sitting alone with his luggage in the back. The entire way, he turned a myriad of thoughts over in his head. Nothing important, really. Just some books he'd read and a movie or two.

-

He had come in late _again_ and missed roommate assignments and orientation. It wasn't Edward's fault, though; he was not the one in charge of transferring him from place to place. (Once or twice, he idly wondered who was, but did not dwell too much on it.)

As a result, he had to collect his uniform at the desk, as well as his schedule, a pamphlet of the rules, and a "class pin" to attach to his new uniform's lapel. The balding man at the desk handed Edward his room key and gestured vaguely to a location on a gigantic map posted on the wall beside him. Edward managed to summon up a bit of enthusiasm for his "Thank you," deciding that the man was about as used to giving this speech as Edward was receiving it.

As he made his way through the corridors, he made sure to glance over at the windows on the classroom doors, inconspicuously checking out the people inside, many of whom inconspicuously looked back. He was still wandering the halls when whatever class period that was in session ended, and students spilled out into the space around him. They were all male; this time around, he had not come to a school with an adjoining dorm or nearby aptly-named "sister school" for girls. The only women for miles were teachers and staff members.

Voices crowded around him: both the loud, verbal ones of the mouth and the whispery, underlying ones that he preferred to ignore, the ones that echoed insecurities and perversities, that sometimes were so true to what people said out loud and their visible feelings that they frightened Edward a bit. Such was the curse of schizophrenia - albeit very clever, very easy to function around schizophrenia. At least he was in a crowd; he loved crowds. The chatter of "real" speech made the "other" kind easier to ignore.

He continued to wander, perhaps pretending to be lost, perhaps not really looking for the dorms, even as the boys gradually retreated to yet another class. He occupied his mind by asking himself questions about everything he saw and comparing it to what he'd seen before, not in any real hurry to rejoin the dreariness of classroom life.

He passed by a room with an open door and a plaque atop the doorway that read _School Physician_. Without thinking, he glanced inside, even walking across the hall towards it for a closer look.

A shiver shot through him the instant he saw the doctor's back to him. Again, the eerie feeling of déjà vu, of an implacable recognition. Like the woman driving the beetle, the man was strangely familiar, and despite the fact he could not see his face, Edward could sense that the man was attractive; everything from the doctor's fluid movement as he wrote to his perfect shape and form screamed it.

Edward wrenched himself away from the door and began to walk quickly down the hall, not frightened so much as panicked, and for no discernable reason.

-

He'd read somewhere that insomnia was a sure sign of mental illness. And maybe it was just him - it was _probably_ just him - but he couldn't remember the last time he'd slept.

As per usual, he spent a better portion of his first night at his new school writing his many strange symptoms over and over until they nearly blackened the page.

_Inability to digest/hold down solid foods  
Insomnia  
Voices_He scribbled them down in a thousand ways, with synonyms, with descriptions, until his head nearly spun. No one could survive without sleep, so perhaps he was currently in a coma. He certainly couldn't remember having a life before these schools, and it would explain why few things seemed to change - like a recurring dream, but not quite. Perhaps the voices were his family members begging him to wake up.

But why couldn't he eat? Maybe it was a symbolic thing. Something to do with the accident that made him comatose in the first place, or merely the fact that he had to get his nutrients through an IV now that he wasn't ever awake. But suppose he wasn't living in a very vivid coma-induced dream-state; suppose he was in a mental asylum somewhere? Rocking on his heels, murmuring about the devil as he hallucinated this life?

Edward's insecurities looked back at him from where they lay on the page, making him feel a strange anguish, coupled with extreme mental exhaustion. Something in the back of his mind was picking, pecking at him, just as it always did when he pondered. Also just as always, the thought lay just out of reach. He couldn't identify what his subconscious was trying to tell him.

He placed the notebook down with a sigh. It was four in the morning, and already he had read and reread the rule pamphlet given to him at the front desk. The moon outside his window seemed to be looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to entertain it with acts of normalcy.

Edward decided to go for a walk.

-

It hadn't been too much trouble slipping outside, as the academy had little security. Then again, where could the boys run off to? They were on a mountain, surrounded by forests, and the next train wouldn't come until the holidays. Everyone was trapped until Thanksgiving, and that was over two months away.

The fresh air would hopefully aid in clearing Edward's mind. He listened to the gentle rustle of leaves and the unintelligible sounds of the forest's unknown innards. It was a crisp night, despite the fact it would not technically be autumn for a few days yet.

He came to a clearing of open sky and let himself feel awe in the face of the endless night. The single thing Edward would never reproach these schools with was the fact he sometimes got to see stars. He never tired of them; millions of twinkling points on a never-ending plane. He'd heard of Native American legends describing stars as windows in the sky through which departed souls could watch and check on the loved ones that they'd left behind on Earth. For a moment, he was caught up wondering if there was anyone looking at him, and if so, who.

The sounds of other people pulled Edward out of his reveries. Cursing them for interrupting his thoughts, he stood for a moment, debating whether to stay, head inside, or head in the opposite direction when a scream of desperation made the decision for him.

"_Please let go-!_"

"Shut him up!"

Caught off guard, Edward looked around frantically for a moment before realizing the direction from which the voices were coming from. As soon as he did, he was on his feet and moving towards them almost without thinking.

"Dammit, Jerry! _Don't let him get away!_"

"I'm _trying!_ C'mon, guys, help me with this!"

"We'll show you, faggot..."

Edward wasn't sure how he managed to get there so quickly; he only knew that the boys who were currently stomping and spitting at their victim on the ground did not immediately notice him. He pulled one of them away with more ease than he expected before sending the guy in his grip crashing into the rest of the group.

They got the hint. Within a moment, the gang was scrambling to their feet, screaming, "_Monster!_" before running for the school building like victims in a horror film.

Edward offered a hand to the boy they had been beating, who, instead of looking fearful, was full of amazement.

"Thank you," he whispered, taking the hand. Upon contact, he winced. "You're so cold..."

"It's a cold night," Edward replied, nonchalant. The boy looked skeptic, but he nodded anyway, and allowed himself to be helped to his feet.

"Are you alright? Can you walk?"

"I'm fine, thanks to you." The boy laughed, uneasily. "God, I'm such an idiot. Those guys have been after me for ages. I shouldn't have... But thank you. I mean, if it hadn't been for you just happening to be around, I doubt anyone would have heard me..."

The boy was looking curiously at Edward. "Say - not that this place isn't huge, but I'm pretty sure I'd remember if I'd seen you around before."

"I'm new," Edward replied, curtly. "Just transferred in today."

"Are you a freshman?" He nodded. The boy smirked. "I suppose that makes me older than you. Though to be honest, you don't look like a freshman, in the sense you look more mature. And people say I'm much too young-looking for my age, so I suppose that all doesn't matter much."

It was true - the boy's looks were rather youthful, with many of the soft features one associated with prepubescence. He was shorter than Edward by a head or so and had a heart-shaped, feminine face, pale skin, and the largest pair of brown eyes Edward had ever seen. Or perhaps they weren't large so much as deep with intelligence; they seemed endless.

The boy fidgeted under his stare and pushed a shock of brown hair out of his eyes, which darted to the side. "What's your name, anyway?"

"Edward."

"Just Edward?" The boy smiled, and again, he felt a twinge of déjà vu.

"Cullen. Edward _Cullen_."

"Cullen," the boy repeated. With a nod, he continued, "I approve." Then, looking into his eyes, he inquired, "Aren't you going to ask for my name? Not that you have to," he said, quickly. "It's very ugly. I don't really like it."

After mulling it over for a moment, Edward stated, "Well, I'll need something to call you by. And It's only fair, since I told you mine."

The boy sighed loudly. "Yes, but you have a nice, _normal_ name." At the dead-eyed expression Edward locked onto him, he blushed. "Oh, fine. I'm Bela Cygne. Isn't that awful? Just like a girl, or that guy who played Dracula in those old horror movies. He had an accent. What was his name? Lugosi. Bela Lugosi."

That same feeling he'd experienced around the driver and the doctor heightened, and suddenly, Edward realized that it was quiet. Completely, utterly silent.

"It's quiet," he said, suddenly. At the look he received from Bela, he recovered, "Oh, not your name. I just mean... it's very quiet in general."

Bela nodded, slowly. "It has been for a while," he said, "since you drove those idiots off. Thank you again for that, by the way."

Edward nodded, almost mechanically. "Right. Well. I should probably be getting back. It's rather late. And you have injuries."

"I'm fine," Bela insisted. "I've endured worse." As if to prove it, he walked in a full circle. "Honestly, I'm all right."

"I still think you should go to the infirmary." Edward touched Bela's shoulder and steered him towards the general direction of the school. Under his breath, he heard Bela mutter, "No wonder you sent those guys running." How strange - Edward didn't _think_ he was being rough...

They slipped back into the school without being caught - not that that was any surprise. However, they did have a hard time finding the infirmary, since Bela insisted on leading the way - being Edward's "senior" - despite not being entirely good with directions himself. When they finally arrived, Bela sheepishly apologized and thanked Edward again before knocking on the school physician's door.

"What's wrong? What's happened?"

The man appeared so quickly that Bela nearly jumped out of his skin. Before Edward could get a good look at the man or either boy could explain the situation, the doctor had grabbed Bela by the shoulders and begun pushing him inside the room. Flustered, the boy looked over his shoulder and called, "Goodnight, Edward! Thanks again!"

Edward merely nodded in reply, surprised not only by the doctor's haste, but his face - he had managed a glimpse of it - and he was now almost _certain_ he'd seen the man somewhere else before...

Suddenly feeling a profound mental exhaustion, Edward decided to head back to his dorm, thinking that perhaps this would be the night he finally slept.

At no such luck.

He lay in his dark room, staring at the ceiling, the murmur of dreamy voices melding into the backdrop of trees rustling and the occasional employee stalking the hall. With the voices of the sleeping surrounding him again, Edward couldn't help but trace his thoughts back to the Cygne boy.

A little while after Bela's attackers had left, there had been silence. Literally, silence; no voices. They must have been quite a ways away from the school, since the voices always popped up in places where people were, too, but right then in the clearing, even with the other boy present, Edward had heard nothing but the sounds of the forest.

* * *

I've been writing non-stop for ages, but I haven't really approved of anything enough to submit it to for a while. I hope you enjoy this.

Mercy when you R&R!!! I've never written for this fandom, so I have no ideas what to expect (in terms of feedback, what's popular or cliché, etc.)...


	2. Dreams of Cannibalism

I planned to release this sooner, but I haven't had a single free day until now. I tell you, AP History's killing me.

* * *

For lack of having anything better to do, he was already dressed and prepared when day broke. He had brushed his teeth twice. He had arranged and rearranged his lapel pin. Edward had sworn on the train ride up that this would be the year he stopped breaking into the school's library at night, but so far, it seemed as though boredom would drive him to criminal acts once again. It's not like his top fear (next to being caught in general) of falling asleep and being discovered the next morning was all that plausible, anyway.

Years of experience _should_ have stripped away the jitters that accompanied his first day of school. However, the enormous amount of time he had yet to waste before even the cafeteria opened for breakfast left him with a jittery feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had, after all, been there not a day and already made enemies (though judging from the looks on their faces as they ran, they wouldn't be bothering him any time soon).

A knock sounded at his door. Curious, Edward opened it to find a corpse-like woman with flaxen hair. She attempted to smile kindly at him, only for her face to twist into a grimace. "I see you're up early." There was a note of suspicion in her voice, but he ignored it. He must have let some annoyance slip into his expression, for she seemed to try to improve her grimace in reassurance, only to make it worse. "But that's good. I'm not waking you. Good."

Her movements were halted and awkward as she reached for something in a bag around her shoulder. "I have something for you from the school's physician. For that special diet of yours." She handed him a cup that looked ridiculously like the sort someone could purchase a slushie in. With a crooked smile, she commented, "Dietary troubles already? You poor boy."

The unfortunate-looking woman was only trying to be nice. He took it from her with a muttered thanks before closing the door to his room and allowing himself to cringe at her freely.

The smell emanating from the cup, however, curbed that discomfort. It smelled richly, just as it always did, and it tasted in a way that made him think some little thing was missing that made it good as opposed to _amazing_. He couldn't quite place it, though. Actually, he seemed to be uncertain a lot as of late.

Still, it was good enough that when he finished, he wished he had some more. The taste in his mouth was utterly delicious even as he set the cup down, and he considered leaving it linger. The disgustingness of this thought hit him, and he ran to once again brush his teeth and rinse out his mouth with Listerine.

-

At eight o'clock, Edward finally resolved that he was terribly bored, and couldn't possibly wait until nine for classes to begin. He decided to find the mess hall and perhaps socialize; maybe he could find Bela and talk with the other boy while he ate his breakfast. For whatever reason, he felt determined to avoid the dreariness of previous school experiences. He would be - what wording had that nosy (but, admittedly, right) English teacher in Rochester used? Involved? Yes; he would be... _involved_ in life, not just a bystander.

All at once, he wondered if this determination was shallow; he had saved a boy, after all, and when they conversed, it came easy. It wouldn't be any trouble to make friends with him when most of the grunt work was already done. Not to mention that bit of gratitude as motivation on Bela's part.

No, no, no. No excuses. He was going to socialize. He would make friends and be normal.

As he swung open his bedroom door, a familiar voice crying out in shock surprised him and caught his attention. Glancing around the other side of the door, he saw Bela, looking at him with a slightly flustered smile.

Unlike previous times, however, there was a lull of mental voices as boys throughout the school were roused from their sleep and began to head to breakfast, in the hopes of beating the morning rush. Edward assumed - although he couldn't tell for sure - that Bela had been attempting the same.

The brunette came closer. "Good morning, Edward. I see you're up bright and early."

He nodded, almost mechanically. "Yes. And I see you are, too."

Bela kept walking, and gestured for Edward to follow. "Come on. Let's get some breakfast before everyone else gets up and all the good stuff's taken."

They walked in silence for a few moments, both boys bereft of anything to say. Edward willed himself to believe it was a comfortable quiet, hoping Bela felt the same.

The other boy was the first to fill the void. "I don't know about you, but I slept awful last night."

Me too, Edward wanted to say, but didn't, for fear that they might get too into the details.

"I kept having such weird dreams," Bela continued, sighing. "The kind that leave you restless, like you haven't slept at all."

Edward paused, searching for the words. "Were they nightmares?"

The little brunette looked at him guiltily. "Actually..." He laughed in what was meant to be a light-hearted way, but he ended up sounding a bit anxious instead. "They were pretty stupid, in retrospect. But at the time..." Perhaps he was wrong, but Edward could've sworn Bela shivered just then. "They can be so overpowering, you know?"

Not really, Edward thought, but he did not voice this. In place of an answer he shrugged, awkwardly, and asked, "What were they about, then?"

Face turning red (this reaction only further intrigued Edward), Bela groaned, "Promise you won't laugh?"

And then, without waiting for an answer, Bela broke into a nervous laugh, and he said, "Cannibals."

Edward smirked.

"You said you wouldn't laugh!"

"I don't remember agreeing on anything of the sort."

Bela scowled. "Yeah, well... in that case, you should've seen it as a command, not a request."

"I didn't laugh, though, did I?" Despite himself, however, he did now.

"_There you go!_"

They squabbled pleasantly like this for a few moments longer before lapsing into witty banter and then plain small-talk. Upon the threshold of the cafeteria, a thought seemed to strike Bela, showing clearly on his face.

"Oh!" he said. "I forgot!"

He grinned at Edward in the way a criminal may to his partner; like they were in on something together. "You'll love this. The cannibals, you see? They had iridescent skin. Literally, like light-bulbs; they were _glowing_."

-

Breakfast was a jostling affair, and Bela barely got to buy his food and sit down before the teachers that supervised meals were squawking orders to begin cleaning up. Nearly all the students had had to eat in a hurry, and the cafeteria went further into uproar.

Afterwards, while they were on their way to their first classes of the morning, Bela said remorsefully, "I'm so sorry, Edward. You hardly got to eat at all!"

This was an understatement, as Edward actually hadn't eaten a single bite. Not that that mattered; as mentioned before, he seemed to have a problem with regular food, so he shrugged off Bela's remorse with a crooked grin. "It's fine; I don't usually eat breakfast anyway, especially not on a first day. Too nervous, you know. Hyped up on energy enough, what with all that anxiety."

The other boy bought it, and returned this plausible explanation with a sweet, somewhat thankful expression.

"Hey, Edward, we should compare schedules. I don't have much faith that we'll have any classes together, me being a year above you and all, but we get free periods to compensate for the lack of a weekend, and if we share one, we could spend it together. I mean, if you don't mind..."

"Of course not," Edward chuckled. "You could show me around the place, as well."

The brunette cocked his head. "Didn't you see it at orientation?"

Edward shook his head, wafts of bronze hair falling into his eyes. "No. I missed it. I came a day late, just yesterday."

"Ah. I see, in that case, I'd be glad to show you around." Bela beamed, before returning to the matter at hand. "Although, to be truthful, there's not much to do around here. We're allowed into the courtyard, and there's a gorgeous garden - oh, gosh, that's a stupid thing to say - well, it _is_ really pretty, I mean, if you're into that sort of thing-"

"I don't think it's stupid," Edward said with another lopsided smirk, and Bela responded with a slightly flustered, mostly grateful smile.

Something occurred to him, and Edward's expression changed. "But I don't remember seeing it last night..."

"That's because it's on the other side of the school, opposite of where we... well... _met_, I guess you would call it. There's also a gym and a weight room, which I'll show to you, maybe even spot you, if you want, but I'm horribly uncoordinated and won't go in there otherwise. Even if you beg." He laughed nervously and swiftly changed topics. "The library's enormous - there's so much there, and you never seem to run out of something interesting to read..."

Edward perked up at the mention of the library. "I'm going to want to see that."

He remembered, then, his schedule, and went to bring it up so he and Bela could compare. But when he reached into his blazer, there was nothing. He frowned, beginning to check his other pockets a bit more frantically. When he checked his pants pockets and still found nothing, he went into more of a panic, patting them frantically. Maybe if he checked the inside of his blazer again...? Maybe he'd find it better if he took the damn thing off...

Bela blushed slightly when Edward nearly tore off his blazer, and the brunette tried to cover his reaction up with a cough and a habitual, nervous laugh. "Um, Edward, what are you...?"

"My schedule," he said faintly, feeling himself blanche. Though the visibility of such a thing was in doubt, considering the tone of his skin was already quite pale. "I left it in my room... All the way back there..."

Indeed, they were nearly on the opposite side of the school from the dorms. However, this information didn't seem to bother Bela, who was perfectly calm as he said, "Oh. Well, I'll go with you."

"But classes are starting in a minute..."

Bela waved off his concern. "It's the first week. Nobody cares, especially not if you're a freshman."

Edward felt like saying that it wasn't the teachers worrying him quite as much as the fact he thought Bela would slow him down. Still, he felt weirdly grateful that the other boy would offer such a thing, and so stopped protesting. Together, they turned and began speed-walking down the corridor.

"By the way, Edward," the brunette began, somewhat breathless already. (He mustn't be kidding about not being athletic.) "I keep meaning to ask. What electives are you taking?"

The taller boy sighed. "I don't know."

Bela smirked. "Really? That forgetful, are we?"

"Yeah." With an awkward smile, Edward replied, "I've just been through the process so many times, it all tends to blend together and I lose track..."

He walked several paces ahead before he realized that Bela had stopped. He turned to find his new friend looking at him with a strange expression contorting his feminine features somewhat quizzically.

Edward looked at him, surprised by his sudden change in demeanor. "Bela? What's wrong?"

His friend continued to look at him as though he were a wall of hieroglyphics with no Rosetta Stone in sight. "What did you mean by 'so many times'? You say that as though you... as though you've been through this _before._"

Edward's brow furrowed. "Well, yea-"

Suddenly, the bell rang, and the halls erupted into the thunder of footsteps. Crowds of boys seemed to seep into the corridors like lava from a crevice in the earth, and Bela's mouth formed a surprised 'O'.

"Oh, _shit_ - quick, let's get that schedule!"

The two boys ran off as fast as they (although, really, just the brunette) could, their misunderstanding the furthest thing from their minds.

* * *

The "strange dreams" plot device was going to appear in chapter one with Edward, before I luckily remembered that, hey... the Cullens don't sleep! XD This fic just barely avoided having a major plot!fail.


	3. Strangers

Sorry - midterms snuck up on me, and with all my teachers trying to cram in the work we should've been covering long before reviews started, I didn't have time to type this up. I wrote this ages ago, too - it took me like, two nights, maybe an hour each. (That's my writing-time - before bed.)

I'm so sorry for making you wait! Dang, this took forever to type. I wrote too much.

* * *

Bela's face was taught, lips trembling every so often as though he were holding in something that was truly difficult to contain. Edward smiled at him amusedly. "Is something the matter?"

The dam burst. "I got my first letter of the year: from my little sister!" His pretty, thin mouth pursed into a modest smile, eyes filled with an intense glow. "She told me she missed me and that she wished she was old enough to come and visit whenever she wanted. She even drew me a picture!"

Edward chuckled. "She sounds very sweet."

"Oh, she _is!_ You would just adore her, Edward - everyone she meets does." He took an enthusiastic breath. "She has the most darling ringlets and porcelain skin - she nearly _is_ porcelain, like a little doll... Oh, I have a picture!"

Bela turned to dig in his blazer pocket, and as he did, a few strands of overgrown hair dipped onto his face, making him seem strangely naïve. Curiously, Edward observed this phenomenon, barely noticing when Bela had finished and straightened himself out until the picture was nearly under his nose.

"Isn't she adorable?" the boy gushed. "Oh, please say so!"

"She certainly is," Edward murmured, gingerly gripping the photo between two fingers. "Honestly, she's very striking."

Indeed, she was... in more than one way. The longer he stared at those large eyes and dimpled smile, the more that eerie feeling began to grip Edward again: that feeling of itching, not quite recognition.

Unsettled, he handed the picture back quickly, Bela still too excited to notice anything amiss. With the utmost care, the brunette tucked the photograph back into his wallet.

The two walked along without purpose, free to do as they pleased until the period ended. Light slipped from the large windows lining the hall, tastefully cascading in pools over cream colored floor tiles.

"What's your family like?"

The question stopped Edward in his tracks. Confused as to why he was no longer being followed, Bela turned to look at him. "Edward?"

He hesitated. What could he tell Bela? That he didn't know? That would be an honest answer, but wasn't it too strange? He could say he didn't have anyone, but would that be a lie? He had no idea and didn't even know if it mattered.

"Oh - is it terribly personal? I'm so sorry!"

"No, it's fine," Edward reassured him. Then he heard himself say, "I'm adopted. Two brothers, two sisters. All adopted too."

Where did _that_ come from? Bela's innocent, trusting gaze trapped him in the midst of his statement.

"Do you like each other?" Bela asked, smiling. "Are you close?"

Edward couldn't very well turn back know; he'd dug his grave, so he may as well cover himself with the soil.

"Yes." He felt strangely confident with this answer. "Yes, very much."

-

Edward felt her there before he even turned around, though to a regular human's senses it was as though there was nothing at all to warn of her presence. But he heard her, felt the vibrations of her foot on the floor, and he turned to find her in his dorm room, hair cascading down her back, looking like rich spun gold even in mere moonlight.

She smiled at Edward. Horrid and beautiful all at once.

"Do you remember me?" she asked, simultaneously Cheshire and honey. Edward looked at her hand, envisioned it on a steering wheel, and then imagined her face turned away and her beautiful hair hidden beneath a driver's cap.

"From the beetle," he said. "You brought me here."

Something glinted in her coppery eyes which, Edward was just realizing, were the exact same color as his.

She said, "Brought you here? You have no idea how right you are." She bared her teeth at him and they were perfect and ivory and sharp. "But I'm not just your driver and you _know_ it."

Edward, who had been on the verge of taking a step back, froze. There was yet another person here. He glanced over his shoulder and immediately recognized this man, as few times as he'd seen him, as being the school doctor.

And more, something told. His instincts were screaming.

The doctor smiled warmly at Edward, his expression of the utmost parental. "I'm sorry," he crooned. "We didn't mean to frighten you."

"I'm not frightened," Edward said, and he found he was telling the truth. For some indefinite reason, he felt at ease with these people.

It must have shown on his face, because the girl quipped, "Let me guess. The reason you aren't protesting is because you feel as though you've known us for ages."

She had hit it dead on. The doctor laughed, and the sound of his deep throated chuckle was far more beautiful than any human could produce. "Don't worry, son. It will all become clear to you soon."

He gestured for Edward to sit down on his bed. Numbly, he obeyed.

"How to begin?" The doctor spoke amiably, asking neither Edward nor the woman. "I suppose we'll start off letting you ask the questions."

"I beg your pardon?" Edward said quietly. His mouth felt dryer than a desert.

Nonchalant, the blonde woman gave a shrug. "Oh, you know what we're talking about! All those things you've been unable to explain, feel free to ask about them. Perhaps you have some dietary nuances you'd like to discuss?" She quirked a thin eyebrow at him, smiling almost flirtatiously as she spoke in that mocking voice. "Maybe you don't know your own strength, or you do, and you have a few questions as to why it's so immense..."

The "other" voices were hesitantly whispering an absurdity in a masculine voice, screaming the same in a womanly one. Edward tried to ignore them, realizing at once that such a notion was...

"Ask," the woman goaded; her teeth were huge. The man shot her a stern, fatherly look before addressing Edward. "Only if you want to, son."

"No - not _just if he wants to! _You said it yourself - he's getting involved, and he has to know for his and the boy's safety!"

Something hit Edward. "Are you talking about Bela? What's going to happen to him?"

"Nothing," the woman sniffed. "If you cooperate, that is."

He looked between them frantically, searching for a hint that they were teasing him or insane. Their faces were solemn.

"Perhaps you'd like to know about those 'other' voices," the doctor said, softly.

These crazy people who had just broken into his apartment were now expecting him to cooperate. Worse, Edward was considering complying, because just the possibility that they could answer his questions made him yearn for the truth all the more. They'd even specified the conditions, the voices; could it be that they weren't lying? Did he care that it would be taking a chance? It was then that he realized he honestly wanted the truth more so than he desired his own safety.

It was decided, then. Edward gave them a firm nod. "I want to know. Tell me everything."

The woman grinned triumphantly. The doctor folded his hands as he began.

"First, everything you've experienced - from the voices to the food troubles - is normal, for what you are. Well, in the case of the voices, extraordinary. They may seem like a flaw or a sickness, but really, it's a gift."

_Normal for "what I am"?_ Edward remained still, unsure what he was hearing.

When the doctor's pause went on too long, the blonde woman scowled at him and snarled, "If _you_ don't get on with it, I will!"

"Be patient," the doctor pleaded. "I'm just unsure how to start..."

"Try the beginning," she said dryly.

The doctor shook his head. "But what would that be? When he met her, or when I first 'changed' him? Or... or the Volturi...?"

He'd always been physically cold; now, upon hearing those words, Edward felt for the first time his body temperature drop to subzero.

The doctor chewed it over for a few more seconds whilst under the blonde woman's scrutiny. Finally, he seemed to decide.

"Edward," he said, "You were born in Chicago..."

-

Carlisle told him everything, including whom he and Rosalie were and who Edward had been. The entire time, Edward felt himself being haunted by the description of a brunette girl with wide brown eyes and a nervous habit of glancing down.

"Vampire," he'd choked. "Surely you're joking."

But it was true. Yet even as he began to recognize everything he was being told, he couldn't see it exactly. Towards the end of the encounter with the Volturi, the one after his daughter had been born, Edward asked, "What happened to them? My... that family?" He couldn't bring himself to say "daughter" or "wife". "Why can't I remember anything?"

Carlisle's face darkened. "The Volturi weren't happy with the way things ended."

"They picked us off," Rosalie said, softly. "They targeted Jasper to instigate Alice. With her out of the way, it became increasingly easier, and they eliminated many of those who helped us as well. They came to us last, and only a few made it..." Her voice quavered, her lip trembling. "Even Emmett-!"

She crumpled, and Carlisle was quick enough to catch her. He stroked her hair soothingly for a moment, speaking to her nicely before turning his attention on Edward again. "Emmett died protecting her," he said softly. And then, more to Rosalie than Edward, "But it _isn't_ her fault, because Emmett loved her and would have wanted it this way." In response, she let out a lugubrious moan.

Looking at his hands, Edward asked, "But why would they destroy us like that? Didn't they want us to join them? So what's the use of wiping us out?"

Carlisle shook his head. "They saw us as a threat to their authority. On the other note, well, I suppose if they couldn't have you, no one could."

Edward's mind was in a spiral. He kept trying to see them, most of all his daughter and wife. But whenever he tried to conjure someone's image to mind, their visage only just barely surfaced, and then crept away at the last moment as he struggled to hold it. When he attempted to see Bella and Renesmee, for some reason, Bela and his younger sister came to mind.

"Bella Swan," he mumbled. "Bela Cygne... are they connected?"

Carlisle shrugged. "As far as I can tell, no. Bela Cygne is a young, human male." He hesitated. "And fifty years ago... we _saw_ Bella die. There are also no familial relations, as far as I can tell. Bella had only one child and no siblings."

"So I've been.... That's why..." Edward swallowed several times, trying to get over the lump in his throat. "All these years... That still doesn't explain why I've been through so many schools, or... Or...!"

He stopped himself, took a breath, and started over. "You still... haven't explained my memory loss."

"The massacre left you terribly injured, and by the time you were able to speak again, you were too deeply in shock to understand what had happened. In fact, not only do you seem to have a near permanent case of amnesia, but those injuries you sustained took ages to recover. Neither has ever been documented in a vampire before, well, ha, not that vampires keep many documents-"

"Don't get excited," Rosalie hissed. "Can't you see he's upset? He doesn't want to hear you gushing about medical phenomena!"

Carlisle smiled apologetically. "Yes, well. In any case, the schools were all we could think to do - I mean, you were so terribly unresponsive, Edward. Rosalie thought we might put you in an asylum -" - here she rolled her eyes as though the thought was repulsive, but her mind whispered otherwise - "-or fashion something similar under our own watch, but we needed to keep moving in case the Volturi decided to take a second hit at us. I decided the safest place for you would be among humans; the Volturi, I assumed, would be less likely to attack if revealing their secret to a hoard of mortals, and on the off chance that they would advance anyway..." Carlisle grimaced. "Well, this type of school _is_ isolated, so at least that lowers the victim count in terms of witnesses. In any case, while we're lucky this sort of school rose in popularity, the list of ones you haven't been through yet has dwindled, so I'm glad you've finally found out. That way, next time, if we happen to pass through a school for the second..."

"Wait," Edward interrupted. "There'll be a next time?"

"We can't very well stop now," Rosalie pointed out. "Even discounting the Volturi, this is the way we've always done things."

"At least you'll know how to make friends from now on," Carlisle said cheerfully. Rosalie looked at him with exasperation, as though to say, You're honestly worried about _that?_

Edward shook his head. "Won't friends make it harder to leave?"

Carlisle shrugged. "Sadly, that's life. Befriending humans, you have to consider their short life spans and our suspicious lack of aging anyway. We're just too strange and they're just too..."

"Fragile," Rosalie grumbled. "They break rather easily."

"Which is why we've only just told you." Carlisle added. "We don't want your little friend to get hurt, should you do something without realizing."

Back on the subject of Bela, Edward was reminded of something. "He dreams of us, you know. Or at least, I _think_ it's us."

"Who does - you mean Bela?" Carlisle asked incredulously. Rosalie's expression was one of calculation.

Nodding, Edward continued. "He has nightmares of glowing cannibals - that's how he describes them."

"Perhaps he's seen a vampire," Rosalie said thoughtfully. "A different one, or ones. When he was very young."

"At any age, he could've gone into shock afterwards," Carlisle pointed out. He looked deeply intrigued. "To think that there would be another Bela involved with vampires... Especially when he looks like that."

"Which 'that' are you referring to?" Edward asked, though he had a feeling he already knew.

Still lost in speculation, Carlisle ignored him, shaking his head. "Yes... that _is_ quite a coincidence..."

"Quite a _coincidence_," Rosalie emphasized. "I must agree."

-

"Is something wrong? You've barely said a word."

It was the following morning, a Sunday, and the cafeteria would be open for twelve hours in honor of the boys' only day off during the week. Edward was sitting across from Bela at a dimly lit corner table. The next nearest students were sitting three chairs away to each side; Edward figured he and Bela weren't exactly popular.

"I'm fine," he lied. "Just thinking about some things, I suppose. You hear any more from your family?"

Bela bit into an apple, shook his head, then chewed and swallowed. "I guess I wouldn't, anyway. I just got word from them yesterday.

He hadn't mentioned before about a message from the rest of family, and judging by his face, Edward presumed that it hadn't been exactly tender. A sort of blank look had taken over Bela's face for the moment, before it cleared again and he stated, "Today's pretty slow, isn't it?"

Thinking of the previous night, Edward could have laughed. "Yeah, kinda."

Remembering something Carlisle had told him, he began to chew on a nail. The action felt awkward, unnecessary, even, but hopefully it appeared normal. When he looked up to see Bela studying his face, he was ridiculously worried that he'd given himself away.

Gracelessly, Edward asked, "What?"

Bela smiled sheepishly. "How are you with numbers?"

Edward thought for a moment. "Pretty good, actually. Why? Do you need help with something?"

"Yes," Bela said honestly. "I mean, not quite yet. But I probably will, and I think I'd be more comfortable with you than some teacher or strange peer tutor..." The way his voice trailed off, Edward was suddenly reminded of the boys in the woods the night he and Bela had met.

Bela was talking again. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, do you think you could-?"

"Probably." Edward nodded. "Yes, I... yes. Feel free to ask me for anything."

"Thank you," Bela said sincerely. "I mean, for everything, because now I'm probably forcing you to learn sophomore math to help me, and you already saved me from those guys and, oh, never mind, really, don't trouble yourself, I'll figure it out on my own -"

"It's _fine,_" Edward interrupted firmly. "I'm not just good with numbers - that's a bit of an understatement, really. I'm actually quite advanced."

Oh no - was that arrogant? Bela still looked sick with worry. Maybe Edward was intimidating him?

"Not that I want you to feel self-conscious," Edward said quickly. "I just mean I can help you with nearly anything, so feel free to need me. Um." He stopped, figuring he must be babbling by the way Bela was now smiling amusedly at him.

"Thank you, Edward," the brunette said with a laugh, "Again. I'll be sure to do that."

Edward tried to figure out what Bela was thinking of him - it was hard to get a read by his facial expression. But Edward found he couldn't; try as he might, there was no "other" voice whispering in the depths of Bela's direction. His mind was as silent as the dead.


	4. Author's Note: Discontinued

Dear Readers,

Sadly, it appears that my schoolwork (and a dose of teenager angst) is out to get me. My work load is immense, and when I finally get to the end of the pile, I am too sad to do anything but read dirty comics/fanfiction and play around on tinierme. I haven't even been updating my precious livejournal, that's how unmotivated I am.

I'm not just unmotivated to write in general; I won't lie. I've actually been working on several pieces for the _Axis Powers Hetalia_ series (which will probably never be finished, though I hope otherwise). The real problem is _this_ fic; unlike my other currently on-going multichap, _Slow Motion_, I don't even plot in store for _Endless Sky_. Of course, I didn't have an outline for many of my fics that ended up turning out okay, but unlike with those, I no longer have the time or interest to finish _Endless Sky_.

You may feel free to use the "Bella is a boy!!" plot as long as you don't use any elements from my story and you credit me with having at least inspired you. Of course, I doubt anyone would want to use such a silly and contrived attempt at bringing slash to the Twilight canon, but then again, _I_ did, so I'm sure there is at least one other person in the galaxy who would like to do so, too.

Wow, this letter seems so _rude!_ I'm sorry for my sad attempts at being snarky, but I'm trying to artfully avoid the point, which, to clarify, is that I will no longer be writing _Endless Sky_.

I wish you all a great life, and I hope it to be full of fanfics written by people who are much more reliable than I am. (Good luck with that, you'll need it.)

Your humble servant,

Tosa


End file.
